The real estate market has recovered from the foreign-buyer tax lull that was introduced a year ago with the second-hottest August on record. Last month, there were 3,043 home sales in the Greater Vancouver area which is 2.80% and 22.30% higher than July 2017 and August 2016, respectively. Below you will find a comparative chart that depicts the Greater Vancouver residential sales from 2015 to present.

Once again, demand is outpacing supply with the number of listings declining month over month and year over year. It is a seller's market for August 2017 with a sales-to-active listings ratio of 34.6%. Looking at this ratio by property type, it is 16.3% for detached homes (buyer's market) and 44.8% for townhomes and 76.3% for condominiums (strong seller's markets). Home prices are on the rise which is primarily attributed to the townhome and condo sector. The MLS® composite benchmark price for all residential properties in Greater Vancouver is 1% higher than July at $1,029,700.

“First-time home buyers have led a surge this summer in demand in our condominium and townhome markets,” said Jill Oudil, REBGV president. “Homes priced between $350,000 and $750,000 have been subject to intense competition and multiple offers across the region.”

The benchmark price for single-family homes are now $1,615,100 which is a 2.2% increase compared to August 2016. As for attached units, the benchmark price is now $778,300 which is a 12.8% increase compared to August 2016. Lastly, the benchmark price for condos are now $626,800 which is a 19.4% increase compared to August 2016.

For all your real estate needs, contact Amalia Liapis at 604-618-7000 or alternatively at amalia@wesellvancouver.ca.

While it has been an ongoing trend that demand has been outpacing supply, residential sales have not been slowing down. In the latest market stats released mid-June by the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA), there continues to be a month-over-month surge in residential sales. There has been a 26% increase in sales from April 2017 to May 2017 with a total of 12,402 residential home transactions. If it weren't for the low supply, 20-year low as a matter of fact, sales figures may even be higher than actual figures. This amount is 8% lower than May 2016 when the market was hot.

As you can see below, as a result of 9 of 11 real estate boards in BC having a home sales to active listings ratio above 20%, this has resulted in a seller's market. The BCREA states that anything greater than 20% for a sustained period is a seller's market. The Greater Vancouver region, the Fraser Valley, Chilliwack and Victoria all have seen ratios of over 50%.

Source: British Columbia Real Estate Association

In May 2017, MLS® recorded a total of 12,402 residential unit sales and an average MLS® residential price in BC of $752,536 which is a 7.9% decrease and 4.2% increase, respectively, from the same period last year. Total sales dollar volume amounted to $9.33 Billion which is a 4% decrease from May 2016.

For a detailed look at residential statistics for May 2017, read our previous blog here. For all your real estate needs, contact Amalia Liapis at 604-618-7000 or alternatively at amalia@wesellvancouver.ca.

Following suit with previous months, housing demand is still continuing to outpace supply. In May 2017, MLS® recorded a total of 12,402 residential unit sales and an average MLS® residential price in BC of $752,536 which is a 7.9% decrease and 4.2% increase, respectively, from the same period last year. Total sales dollar volume amounted to $9.33 Billion which is a 4% decrease from May 2016.

“Market conditions have tightened considerably this spring as an upturn in consumer demand has not been accompanied by a rise in homes listed for sale,” said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist. “The supply of homes for sale in the province has fallen 50 per cent over the past five years.

There is a shortage of housing supply in the entire southern portion which consequently results in upward pressure on home prices. Total active listings has decreased by 11.1% in comparison to May 2016 and totals 28,404 units. The ratio of home sales to active listings was over 20% in 9 of the province's 11 real estate boards and over 50% in Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Chilliwack and Victoria.

Below you will find a comparative chart showing May 2017 and May 2016 figures for average residential price, active listings, sales-to-active listings, dollar volume and residential units sold in BC. (Click to enlarge photo).

For all your real estate needs, contact Amalia Liapis at 604-618-7000 or alternatively at amalia@wesellvancouver.ca.

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The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) saw a 23.9% decrease in residential unit sales in comparison from April 2016 to April 2017 (9,865 units recorded by MLS®). Comparing to the same period last year, total sales dollar volume was $7.19 Billion which is a 25.4% decrease and the average MLS® residential price in BC has seen a 2% bringing it down to $728,955.

“BC home sales are on an upward trend this spring, led by a sharp increase in consumer demand in the Lower Mainland,” said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist.

Home inventories are at a 20-year low. Currently, the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of home sales has seen a significant increase in relation to the five-year SAAR for April. (89,000 to 106,000 units). SAAR is a rate adjustment that attempts to remove seasonal variations in the data.

There was a 17% decrease in the supply of homes available for sale in comparison to April 2016 figures. Adjusted for seasonal variations, active residential listings have seen a 50% decline since 2012 and are now at their lowest level in over 20 years. Due to the imbalance between supply and demand, demand is driving home prices higher in most regions.

Year-to-date, BC residential sales dollar volume was down 31.8 per cent to $21.3 billion, when compared with the same period in 2016. Residential unit sales declined 25.0 per cent to 30,757 units, while the average MLS® residential price was down 9.2 per cent to $692,220.

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In March, the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) recorded 9,826 residential unit sales which is a 21.8% decrease in comparison to the same period last year. The total sales dollar volume also saw a decrease of 30% bringing it to $6.79 Billion and the average MLS® residential price saw a decrease of 10.5% bringing it to $690,597 compared to March 2016.

"Consumer demand continues to normalize following blockbuster home sales in 2016," says Brendon Ogmundson, BCREA Economist. "However, the supply of homes available for sale has not recovered and is still declining in many markets around the province."

Although the average price in BC was down year-over-year due to a shift in the composition of sales, home prices in most markets are being pushed higher due to severe supply constraints. This is particularly true for the Victoria region, which currently has less than two months of inventory for sale, as well as for the apartment and townhouse market in the Lower Mainland.

Year-to-date, BC residential sales dollar volume was down 34.7 per cent to $14.1 billion, when compared with the same period in 2016. Residential unit sales declined 25.5 per cent to 20,893 units, while the average MLS® residential price was down 12.4 per cent to $674,856.

For all your real estate needs, contact Amalia Liapis at 604-618-7000 or alternatively at amalia@wesellvancouver.ca.

Last month saw a 31.7% decrease in residential unit sales of 6,580 units recorded by the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in comparison to the same period last year. The total sales dollar volume also saw a decrease of 39.7% bringing it down to $4.53 Billion.

"Consumer demand has returned to a more typical level over the first two months of the year," says Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist. "While the home sales have declined nearly 32 per cent from the extraordinary performance of a year ago, last month's activity reflected the average for the month February since the year 2000."

As for the average MLS® residential price in the province, it also saw an 11.7% decrease which brought it down to $688,117. A main factor driving the average price down is that there was a decline in the proportion of provincial sales originating from the Vancouver region. There has been a 7% decline in BC home sales occurring in the REBGV area (44% to 37%) from the same period last year.

Year-to-date, there has been a decrease of 38.5% in BC residential sales dollar volume bringing it down to $7.3 Billion. Additionally, there has been a decrease of 28.5% in residential unit sales to 11,067 units and a decrease of 14.1% in the average MLS® residential price to $660,943.

For all your real estate needs, contact Amalia Liapis at 604-618-7000 or alternatively, at amalia@wesellvancouver.ca.

Overall, we have seen a decrease in residential sales when comparing January 2017 to January 2016. Last month, there were 4,487 residential unit sales recorded by MLS® which is a 23% decrease in comparison to January 2017. For the total sales dollar volume, it was recorded at $2.79 Billion which is a 36.5% decrease from the same period last year. There has been a decrease of 17.5% in terms of the average MLS® residential price in BC bringing it to $621,093.

"Housing demand across the province returned to long-term average levels last month," said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist. "However, regional variations persist, with Victoria posting above average performance and Vancouver falling below the average."

The decrease in the average MLS® residential price is largely attributed to there being more residential sales made in areas outside of the Lower Mainland. Vancouver residential sales fell from 43% of provincial transactions to 35%. In addition, Vancouver detached home sales have seen a decrease relative to multi-family units as they have skewed the average price statistic down. The MLS® Residential Benchmark Price in the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver area has seen a 3.7% decrease over the past six months, but is up 15.6% from January 2016.

For all your real estate needs, contact Amalia Liapis at 604-618-7000 or alternatively, at amalia@wesellvancouver.ca.

Premier Christy Clark has recently announced a new loan program called the BC Home Owner Mortgage and Equity (HOME) Partnership Program that will assist first-time home buyers by contributing to your personal down payment. The government will lend the buyer funds equal to the down payment up to $37,500, or 5% of the purchase price. This new loan would be granted to Canadian citizens or permanent residents who have never previously owned a property and is only applicable to residences with a maximum purchase price of $750,000. This will be an interest-free and payment-free loan for the first five years. After that period, buyers can then either repay their loan or enter into monthly payments at current interest rates. These loans will become due after 25 years, which is the typical length of most mortgages.

Applications will be accepted on January 16, 2017 and the program comes to an end on March 31, 2020. Additional information can be found here.

As mentioned previously, this program is for first-time homebuyers. All individuals applying that have a registered interest on title must reside in the home. In addition, you will find other requirements as seen below.

Eligibility Requirements: » Have been a Canadian citizen or permanent resident for at least five years » Have resided in British Columbia for at least one year immediately preceding the date of application » Be a first-time buyer who has not owned an interest in a residence anywhere in the world at any time » Use the property as their principal residence for the first five years » Purchase a home that has a purchase price of $750,000 or less (excluding taxes and fees) » Obtain a high-ratio insured first mortgage on the property for at least 80% of the purchase price » Have a combined, gross household income of all individuals on title not exceeding $150,000 » Have saved a down payment amount at least equal to the loan amount for which the buyer applied

As of February 19, 2014, the BC Government has implemented a tax break for first-time home owners and can be used in conjunction with the BC HOME Partnership Program. The First Time Home Buyers’ Program reduces or eliminates the amount of property transfer tax paid on your first home. We blogged about this back in 2014 and you can view it here. Our blog outlines both homeowner and property requirements.

For all your real estate needs, contact the WeSellVancouver team at 604-801-6654 or alternatively at info@wesellvancouver.ca. We look forward to hearing from you!

We're not just selling a home, we're selling the community.With a walk score of 96, it's no doubt that our newest listing at 503-610 Victoria Street is in a prime location. Take a look at our community profile to see what's in the area! Contact Amalia Liapis at 604-618-7000 or at amalia@wesellvancouver.ca for more details. Additional information can be found here.

Our last blog was on the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver's residential statistics for Vancouver East. Today, we'll be looking at Vancouver West. As you can see, year over year, the three property types have seen a decrease in unit sales. However, if we were to compare on a monthly basis, from October 2016 to November 2016, there has been a decrease in sales for detached properties and condos of 11.54% and 1.66%, respectively, and an increase of 54.17% for townhomes.

As for the MLS HPI Benchmark Price, there has been an increase across the board when comparing between 2015 and 2016 in the months of October and November, which is a similar trend for Vancouver East. When comparing October 2016 figures with November 2016 figures, there are mixed results. There was a 1.36% decrease for detached properties, 0.91% increase for condominiums and a 3.07% decrease for townhomes.

For a look at the MLS HPI Benchmark Price over a 10-year span, click here. For all your real estate needs, contact the WeSellVancouver team at info@wesellvancouver.ca or alternatively at 604-801-6654.

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Wondering what the residential sales statistics for Vancouver East are for October and November? Take a look below for a comparative analysis for detached properties, condominiums and townhomes. As you can see, for the most part, there has been a drop in sales when comparing year over year. If we were to look at the change from October 2016 to November 2016, we can see that sales have actually gone up. The sales increase percentages are as follows: 19.7% increase for detached properties, 35.78% for condos and 5.26% for townhomes.

While the one-year changes for the benchmark price have seen an increase across the board, it's a different story when comparing October 2016 figures with November 2016 figures. There has been a decrease for detached properties, condos and townhomes of 2.83%, 2.71% and 0.71%, respectively.

For a look at the MLS HPI Benchmark Price over a 10-year span, click here. Stay tuned - our next blog will take a look at Vancouver West! For all your real estate needs, contact the WeSellVancouver team at info@wesellvancouver.ca or alternatively at 604-801-6654.

Another month has come and gone which means we have more monthly statistics to bring you! Looking at the residential property sales, October saw a total of 2,233 units sold which is a 38.8% decrease compared to October 2015 and a 0.9% decrease compared to September 2016. Sales last month were 15% below the 10-year October sales average.

“Changing market conditions compounded by a series of government interventions this year have put home buyers and sellers in a holding pattern,” Dan Morrison, Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) president said. “Potential buyers and sellers are taking a wait-and-see approach to try and better understand what these changes mean for them.”

New listings for Metro Vancouver detached, attached and apartment properties saw a decrease of 3.5% compared to October 2015 (from 4,126 down to 3,981 units) and a decrease of 17% from last month's 4,799 listed properties. There was a 4.5% decrease in total number of current properties in Metro Vancouver listed for sale on MLS® compared to October 2015 (from 9,569 to 9,143) and a 2.3% decrease from last month's 9,354 units.

“While sales are down across the different property types, it’s the detached market that’s seen the largest reduction in home buyer demand in recent months,” Morrison said. “It’s important to work with your local REALTOR® to help you navigate today’s changing trends.”

The MLS® Home Price Index composite benchmark price for all residential properties in Metro Vancouver is currently $919,300. This represents a 24.8% increase compared to October 2015 and a 0.8% decline compared to September 2016.

Residential sales in the Metro Vancouver area has seen a decrease of 32.6% in September 2016 compared to the same month last year (from 3,345 down to 2,253) and a decrease of 9.5% compared to August 2016. Sales from last month were 9.6% below the 10-year sales average for the month.

“Supply and demand conditions differ today depending on property type,” Dan Morrison, REBGV president said. “We’re seeing more demand for condominiums and townhomes today than in the detached home market.”

There was a total of 4,799 new listings for detached, attached and apartment properties in Metro Vancouver for September 2016 which is a 1% decrease from the 4,846 units listed in September 2015. On the other hand, it was an 11.8% increase compared to August 2016 (4,293 listings). Current homes listed for sale on MLS® in the Metro Vancouver area has seen a 13.4% decrease (9,354 listings) compared to September 2015 and a 10% increase (8,506 listings) compared to August 2016. The sales-to-active listings ratio has been the lowest since February 2015 with a ratio of 24.1%.

“Changing market conditions are easing upward pressure on home prices in our region,” Morrison said. “There’s uncertainty in the market at the moment and home buyers and sellers are having difficulty establishing price as a result. To help you understand the factors affecting prices, it’s important to talk with a REALTOR®.”

The MLS® Home Price Index composite benchmark price for all residential properties in Metro Vancouver is currently $931,900. This represents a 28.9 per cent increase compared to September 2015 and a 0.1 per cent decline compared to August 2016. As for specific statistics on detached homes, apartments and townhouses from last month, you can refer to the image above. Detached property sales saw a decrease of 47.6% compared to September 2015 while their benchmark price increased by 33.7%. Sales for apartments saw a decrease of 20.3% and benchmark price increased by 23.5% in contrast to September 2015. Lastly, attached properties sales decreased by 32.2% and their benchmark price increased by 29.1% compared to September 2015.

For all your real estate needs, contact the WeSellVancouver team at info@wesellvancouver.ca or alternatively at 604-801-6654.

Vancouver has seen slower home sales in August but there has been an overall strong housing demand across most regions within BC. There were 8,945 residential units recorded by the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) last month which is an increase of 1.5% compared to the same month last year. As for the total sales dollar volume, it has seen a decrease of 6.7% compared to last year with a total of $5.1 Billion in sales. The average MLS® price has also seen a deline of 8.1% compared to the same month last year which brings it to $569,393.

"The newly introduced 15 per cent foreign buyer tax combined with the 3 per cent property transfer tax on homes over $2 million brought in earlier this year, slowed demand at the top end of the market in Vancouver last month." - Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist.

"The decline in the average home price was due to a change in the composition and location of homes sold in the province," added Muir. "Fewer sales of high priced detached homes relative to all other homes sales in Vancouver as well as fewer Vancouver home sales relative to the rest of the province has caused the average price statistic to decline."

Year-to-date, the BC residential sales dollar increased to $61.6 Billion (39.1% increase) when compared to the same period in 2015. As for the unit sales, it has also increased to 86,206 units (22.1% increase) whereas the average MLS® residential price totaled $714,400 (13.9%). 2016 was off to a good start with record-breaking sales while July and August saw more historically normal activity.

The new foreign tax implemented appears to be a factor in the downward residential sales within the Metro Vancouver area. It has reduced foreign buyer activity within the residential market and has caused some uncertainty amongst local home buyers and sellers. It may be a little early to see the true impact of this new tax but in a few months time, we would be able to analyze foreign buyer data more closely. As September comes to an end, stay tuned in the next few weeks for stats on this month. For all your real estate needs, contact the WeSellVancouver team at info@wesellvancouver.ca or alternatively at 604-801-6654.

Up until the end of June, we've seen an ongoing trend of residential sales going through the roof. However, it's a different story for July! When comparing July 2016 residential property sales to July 2015 figures, we see a decrease of 18.9% (3,226 vs. 3,978 sales) and a decrease of 26.7% from last month. For the first half of the year, home sales have registered at over 4,000 units per month. July was the first time this year that home sales did not hit the 4,000 mark.

“After several months of record-breaking sales activity, home buyer demand returned to more historically normal levels in July,” Dan Morrison, REBGV president said. “Home sale activity showed some moderating signs in late June and this carried into July,” Morrison said. “We’ll wait and watch over the next few months to see if this marks the return of more normal market trends.”

In July 2016, new listings for detached, attached and apartment properties in Metro Vancouver have seen an increase of 2.5% totalling 5,241 units in comparison to the same month last year and a 10.8 decrease in comparison to last month. There has been a 27.4% decline in total number of properties currently listed for sale on MLS® compared to July 2015 and a 6.9% increase compared to June 2016.

Take a look below at the comparables in the MLS® HPI Composite Benchmark Price from July 2015 to July 2016.

Click on the photo below to enlarge it for better viewing. For a more detailed look at the MLS® Sales Facts, click here.

For all your real estate needs, contact the WeSellVancouver team at info@wesellvancouver.ca or alternatively at 604-801-6654.